Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brush teeth, defeat monsters; hero for some, not for all.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Brushing Hero
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Allow BRUSHING HERO to access your device's camera, and set the device in a stable location so that the camera can see your kid brushing his or her teeth. Once started, kids see themselves on-screen with a hero's helmet on their head. While the one-minute timer counts down, kids' vigorous brushing motions send strength up to cartoon warriors fighting monsters at the top of the screen. The more monsters they defeat, the more coins kids earn. Earn hero cards to increase attack power, and beat a dragon every 30 levels to earn a new helmet.
Is It Any Good?
Though parents tired of arguing with their kids about the importance of brushing their teeth may find this extra motivation appealing, it may not work for all. Brushing Hero is a cute idea and sure to appeal to kids. It's really neat to see yourself on-screen with the hero's helmet on and to see your actions affect the action on the screen. Kids may very well get their arms pumping in an effort to beat the monsters. Unfortunately, however, the timer only goes for one minute, despite the well-known recommendation to brush for at least two minutes. The three-hour wait period is a nice thought, as it's probably there to discourage kids from just wanting to play again and again and again. However, kids are forced to ignore the block and sacrifice points to play twice in a row so that they can follow the recommendation and brush for two minutes. Logistically, it can be tricky to get the device in the right place and at the right angle for it all to work well. More generally, some parents may want to think twice before they introduce a screen to yet another small ritual of their kids' lives without any embedded education about why the habit is important in the first place.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's important to brush your teeth, with or without Brushing Hero.
Does using Brushing Hero make brushing your teeth more fun? Why or why not?
Sing songs, make a family competition, use timers, do a dance, or include other fun family traditions to encourage kids to brush their teeth at least two times per day, for two minutes each time.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Skills : Health & Fitness : hygiene and self care
- Pricing structure : Free (purchase additional content with $.99 in app purchase.)
- Release date : December 12, 2018
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Superheroes
- Publisher : LITALICO Inc.
- Version : 1.0.4
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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